I am 22 and currently in school getting my bachelor’s degree in Finance and I plan to graduate in December 2020. I am very interested in going down the path to try to become an airline pilot and start ATP in January 2021. From reading on these forums, I have read that it is not advised to get your PPL from another flight school before coming to ATP due to relearning and breaking bad habits. However, I was wondering if I should consider getting my PPL this summer at my local flight school so that I am absolutely positive that I want to become a pilot and I can do it. The one deterrent is the money and being in debt. Currently I am not in debt, so it is hard to take the leap to become a pilot.
Another questions I have:
I am close to the Raleigh location. Are you able to go to any location to get your training or does it depend on availability?
The choice is yours. If an intro flight or two is not enough for you to be 100% positive that you want to become an airline pilot then I absolutely recommend getting your PPL at a local school. Just know what you’re getting yourself into. Research the school and hold yourself accountable to finish your PPL within a realistic time frame (e.g. 3 mo). You should be flying at least 3 times a month to make that happen. Know that you will also need a minimum of 78+ hours total time to transition to ATP afterwards.
You can choose any location you’d like. Most choose the closest location for convenience which is what we recommend. No matter which location you choose, there could always be the possibility of getting on a wait list. Just keep that in mind.
While there obviously are advantages to doing all your training with ATP, I for one always recommend doing at least some of your PPL training elsewhere IF you’re not certain about your desire or abilities. The Airline Career Pilot program is a fantastic program but it’s also a huge commitment. Yes you may have to relearn some things but many people start the program with their PPLs and do just fine. Also you don’t necessarily have to get your PPL. If after you solo (or anywhere in the process) you wake up and decide yes this is definitely what I want to do then you can always stop your training. Remember to get credit for your PPL you’ll also need 78hrs of flight time so keep that in mind as well. Also any hours you get are yours so there’s no waste.
You can train at any location you choose provided there’s availability. The sooner you secure a date and location the more options you’ll have.
I forgot to ask this question too. If I decided to go through with the PPL. My local flight school offers part 61 and part 141. Which one would you guys recommend or do I need to pick a certain one to qualify for ATP with my PPL?
If you are at all hesitant about wanting to be an airline pilot, I would absolutely recommend getting your PPL outside of ATP. There is just so much money at stake that it is best to be absolutely sure.
I personally would not worry about the debt. Any kind of professional training is going to cost a significant amount of money, whether that be an MBA, law degree, medical, etc. To me the pay off, both personally and financially is well worth the debt. As a finance major, surely you can look at a cost-benefit analysis of the debt load and see that.
You can pick any location, subject to availability. People usually book 3-6 months in advance.
I would absolutely go part 61. Part 141 is a nightmare of government intrusion into your flight training. Either way will get you to the end goal, part 141 will just have a lot more red tape.
Update,
Taking a break from studying for my exam tomorrow. I took two discovery flights at my local flight schools last weekend. Just wanted to say I am super excited to start my training this summer to get my PPL then start at ATP in 2021. It is so hard to focus on school right now To anyone who is questioning if they should pursue this career or not just go to a couple discovery flights and you will know if it is for you or not. I could not image myself at a desk working 9-5 every day…
From the perspective of a student, and not the flight school, what about 141 is the downside? Your comment caught my attention and I’m curious to know what you are referring to.
Thanks so much for moderating this forum, there’s nothing like it out there!
Good question. The “nightmare of red tape” that I mentioned above is not just the flight school’s red tape, it is your’s as well. There are so many restrictions and additional requirements put on the flight training that it makes it very hard for an instructor to customize a training program to your needs. In part 141, every lesson is laid out if you do not pass that lesson 100%, you are supposed to continue taking that same lesson until you do. With part 61, you are free to work on what you and your instructor feel you need to, as long as you meet all of the requirements in the end.
There are also various “stage checks” along the way in part 141 which are essentially little mini check rides. They just serve to slow you down. As you can tell, I am not a fan of 141.
Chris covered pretty much everything but I just thought I would throw my two cents in since I trained in both part 61 and 141 schools. The one thing I like about 61 is the flexibility. If we planned on doing slow-flight and stalls and the practice area has weather but the pattern is clear, well then we would just fly in the pattern and work on short/soft-field takeoffs and landings. In 141 it would’ve been a no go or maybe some ground-school. Also about the stage-check thing, I get what its created purpose is but as Chris said it really just slows you down. I was due for a stage check last Friday and things were backed up so I was pushed back for today. Well I just found out that I got pushed back again so that’s 4 days wasted
To anyone who is questioning if they should pursue this career or not just go to a couple discovery flights and you will know if it is for you or not. I could not image myself at a desk working 9-5 every day…